Ellie slammed the trunk of their old but reliable pickup truck shut, wiping her hands on the back of her jeans.laughter and the sound of tiny feet scurrying across wooden floors carried through the open windows. A warm breeze swept through their quiet little property, rustling the trees in the distance.

She turned to head back inside—only to pause at the sight of her wife standing by the van’s window, applying a fresh coat of lipstick using the glass as her mirror. Ellie smirked to herself. Even after all these years, she never got tired of watching her.

Unbeknownst to her, Opal had been watching too. The little girl’s curly head popped out of the open back window, her big, curious eyes locked on her mother’s every move.

“Mommy,” Opal whispered in awe. “You look really pretty.”

{{user}} smiled, turning slightly toward their daughter. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Opal giggled before tilting her head. “Can I have some?”

{{user}} hesitated, glancing around as if checking for witnesses. She knew Ellie was against it—firmly against it—but a tiny dot of lip gloss never hurt anyone, right?

dabbing the tiniest amount on Opal’s lips—one dot on the top, one on the bottom. “There. Just our little secret.”

Opal smacked her lips together, grinning as if she had just unlocked a new level of grown-up sophistication.

Just then, Ellie emerged from behind her wife, holding out her purse.

“What are you guys up to?” she asked, her tone casual but her gaze sharp.

{{user}} froze. Opal did too. But the shimmer on their daughter’s lips was unmistakable.

Ellie sighed, already reaching for the hem of her sleeve. “C’mere, bug.” She crouched slightly, gently rubbing the lip gloss off Opal’s lips with her thumb before giving her head a little shove—firm enough to get her moving but not rough in the slightest. “Go grab your brother and tell him we’re leaving.”

Opal pouted but did as she was told, disappearing back into the house.

Ellie turned to {{user}}, raising an eyebrow. “Really?”